Mail-box.



3.. W. STROBEL.

MAIL BOX. APPLIOA TION FILED JUNE 12, 1912.

Patefited Feb.11,14913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN WILLIAM STROBEL, F CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

IEAIL-BOX.

"specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedFeb. 11., 1.213.

Application filed. June 12, 1912. Serial No. 703,344.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN -WILLIAM STRoBnL, a citizen of the United States, rcsiding at Charleston, in the county of Charleston and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail boxes and more particularly to mail boxes for rural delivery routes, the object of the invention being to provide an improved mail box of the above character which will possess advantages in points of efficiency and durability, is inexpensive to manufacture and at the same time is simple in construction and opera-lion.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described pointed out in the claims, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mailbox constructed n accordance with my inven tion. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. Fig. l is a sectional view on the line of Fig. 1, Fig. is a detail perspective VlCW of the supporting bracket and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the catch member secured to the inner sides of the doors of the mail box.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, 1 indicates the body of the mail box which may be of any well known construction but in the present instance is of rectangular shape and mounted upon the bracket 2 which is secured to the supporting post 3 by means of the rings 4 which are secured to the bracket :2 and arranged upon the post 3. The body 1 is divided into two compartments 5 and 6 respectively, each .provided with an outer opening 7 adapted to be closed by the doors 8 which are hinged to one side of the opening by means of the hinges 9.

Arranged within each of the compartments 5 and 6 and disposed adjacent the door opening are the U shaped brackets 10 which are provided. at their intermediate portions with the openings 11, the ends of said brackets being rigidly secured to the front side wall of the compartments. Haying one end mounted in the openings 11 and the other end extending outwardly through the opening in the front wall of the compartments are the shafts 13 upon which are mounted the gears 1%. arranged between the front wall of the compartments and the intermediate portion of f the brackets. Mounted for sliding movement within each of the compartments are the racks 15 which are arranged adjacent the-door openings and are held securely in position by means of the guides 16. Mounted upon the upper endsof the racks are the staves 17' upon the upper ends of which are mounted the signals 18, said signals being normally dis posed within the compartments and adapted for vertical adjustment up through the slots 19 in the top of the body 1. The racks 15 are raised and lowered by means of the crank handles 20 mounted upon the outerends of the shafts 13.

Secured to the lower end of the racks 15 are the outwardly extending stops 21 which engage the pivoted catch member 22 when the racks are raised, the catch member swinging upwardly to allow the stops to pass the same. upwardly beyond the catch members 22 the catch members 22 then swing. back to their normal or horizontal position where they are held by means of the cross pins 23, the crank handles are then released allowing the stops to rest upon the catch members 22. The catch members 22 are pivotally mounted upon the brackets 24.- which are rigidly secured to the inner side of the doors 8 so that when the doors are in a closed position and the racks 15 are raised the same will be held in their raised position until the door has been opened, as soon as the door is opened the stops are released allowing the racks to drop to their normal position.

Each of the compartments is provided upon its front wall with an elongated slot 25 through which the mail is passed into the interior of the body. These slots are normally closed against entrance of rain, snow or sleet by means of the hinged cleats 26. The compartments 5 and 6 are further provichd with window openings 27 which are closed by transparent material. By having the window openings 27 arranged within the front means of a pane of glass or other When the stops have passed side of the compartments, any mail which may be in either one of the compartments can be readily seen from the outside.

In my improved mail box the compartments 5 and 6 are used for outgoing and incoming mail respeetively, thus when the rural carrier deposits mail in the compartment 6, the owner of the mail box will be notified by means of the signal used in connection with this compartment, the isignal being raised by rotation of the crank handies 20. It. will be seen from the accompanying drawings that the signal used in connection with the compartment 6 is in the form of a red flag, which will, when in a raised position signify ;to the owner of the box that the mail carrier has deposited mail in the box. The owner of the box in removing mail from the compartment 6 opens the door Sand releases the stop 21 which will allow the signal 18 to drop back to its normal position within the compartment.

The compartment is used for outgoing mail which the owner deposits within the compartment for removal by the rural carrier.. After the owner has placed mail in the compartment 5, the crank handle 90 is rotated raising the signal 18, which is shown in the drawings in the form of a green flag" preferably constructed of metal, to. signify to the rural carrier that the owner of the box has placed mail in the compartment 5 When the carrier opens the signal 18 to drop down to its normal position within the compartment. it will be seen that when the [lags are raised the stops 21 are engaged with the catch membore 22 so that when the racks l5 have been raised far enough the stops 21 may be droppedo-down and allowed to rest upon the catch members '22. o

From the above-description taken in coir nection with the accompanying drawings it will be readily apparent that l have provided a simple and durable rural mail box whereby either the owner or the carrier will be notified when there is any mail within the box. I

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention it will be obvious that various changes in the details of construction and in the proportions may be resorted to for successfully carrying my invention into practice without sacrificing any o'f-the novel features or departing from scope thereof.

What I claim is 1. A mail box having a door formed therein, a door adapted to close said opening, said box being provided with an elongated opening in the top thereof, avertically disposed rack bar arranged. in said box, and adapted for sliding movement, a signal secured to the upper end of said rack bar and normally disposed within said box, means for reciprocating said rack bar to raise the signal to an operative position, a pivoted rack member carried by the door and normally disposed in a. horizontal position. an outwardly extending stop carried by the lower end of the rack adapted to engage the catch member to hold the signal in an operative position, and said stop being released when the door is opened to allow the signal to drop to its normal position.

2. A mail box having a door opening formed therein, a door adapted to close said opening, said box being providedwith an elongated opening in the top thereof, a U

shaped bracket arranged Within the be and having its ends secured to the front wall thereof, a shaft having one of its ends mounted in the intermediate portion of the bracket and its other end extending outwardly through the front wall of the box, a vertically disposed rack bar arranged within the box and adapted forsliding movement, a signal secured to the upper end of iid rack, and normally disposed within said box, a. gear wheel. mounted upon the shaftand adapted to, engage'the rack, a crank handle mounted upon the outer end oi said shaft. to rotate said gear and raise the signal toits operative position, a pivoted spring catch member secured to the inner taco of the door and normally disposed in a horizontal position, a stop secured to the lower end of the rack and adapted to engage said catch member to hold the signal in an operalive position, and said stop being released when the door is opened to allow the signal to drop to its normal position. i

in testimony whereof I hereunto athx my- .sig'narure in the presence oi. two witnesses.

JOHN WILLIAM STBOBEL. Witnesses:

A. L. Decline, R. J. Rtnewar. 

